Authorities: Drug deal gone wrong may have led to abduction of Cambridge man

The alleged abduction of a male from a Cambridge home Saturday evening was reportedly the result of a narcotics deal that went bad and resulted in law enforcement officials from three agencies searching for the victim for several hours until he was located in the Byesville area.

The victim was reportedly not injured during the incident.

A motorist who drove the vehicle in which the alleged victim was taken was cited for unrelated traffic offense after being located driving the vehicle on Southgate Parkway.

Aaron F. Norris, 29, Senecaville, was cited for driving while under FRA, reinstatement fee required and license forfeiture suspensions. Norris was also served with a bench warrant for unpaid fines from a previous incident.

Norris was scheduled to appear in the Cambridge Municipal Court at 12:30 p.m. today.

No other charges had been filed as of press time Monday.

According to Cambridge police reports, officers were initially dispatched to a Leatherwood Street residence at 5:15 p.m. after it was reported a male was removed from the home by other males armed with guns. The individuals were last seen driving away from the home in a black Hummer.

One of the males allegedly threatened to kill the victim if law enforcement agencies were notified.

The witnesses were reportedly able to get a partial license plate number for the Hummer and local law enforcement agencies were advised to be on the lookout for the vehicle.

As officials were searching for the victim, he reportedly placed a call to his aunt using a cellular telephone belonging to another individual.

Officers checked the home of the cell phone owner but did not locate him or the Hummer. A police dispatcher then began the process of having the cellular phone provider "ping" the signal to determine a location.

A short time later, a sheriff's deputy reported he was behind a black Hummer bearing a license plate containing the partial information given to officers northbound on Southgate Parkway.

The deputy followed the Hummer onto Jefferson Avenue and a traffic stop was initiated.

Norris and a male passenger were located in the vehicle, but there were no other occupants. A police detective and Guernsey County Prosecuting Attorney Daniel Padden reportedly responded to the scene to assist with the investigation.

The males were transported to the Cambridge Police Department and interviewed by officers at which time both men reportedly admitted to being in the vehicle when the victim was picked up. Both men said he went with them willingly and there were no threats of violence.

Meanwhile, the alleged victim called his aunt again and said he was "fine." He would not give his location, but during the call he advised he didn't know who he was with and there was a chance he could get hurt.

The Hummer was towed to the police department due to it being a potential crime scene.

A short time later officers learned the cellular telephone being used by the victim was located in the Shenandoah Drive area.

Sheriff's deputies converged on the area and observed a vehicle occupied by the alleged victim leaving the area. A traffic stop was initiated and the victim along with a male driver and a female were taken into custody and transported to the police department.

While being questioned, the alleged victim reportedly told police the "ordeal started as a drug deal and went bad from there." The male was not injured.

The prosecutor's office was contacted and the decision was reportedly made to release the four suspects and the alleged victim.

The incident remained under investigation by Cambridge police. Charges could be filed at a later date.